Author:Honoré de Balzac,Olivia McCannon,Graham Robb,Olivia McCannon

Monsieur Goriot is one of a disparate group of lodgers at Mademe Vauquer's dingy Parisian boarding house. At first his wealth inspires respect, but as his circumstances are mysteriously reduced he becomes shunned by those around him, and soon his only remaining visitors are his two beautifully dressed daughters. Goriot's fate is intertwined with two other fellow boarders: the young social climber Eugene Rastignac, who sees a way to gain the acceptance and wealth he craves, and the enigmatic figure of Vautrin, who is hiding darker secrets than anyone. Weaving a compelling and panoramic story of love, money, self-sacrifice, corruption, greed and ambition, Old Man Goriot is Balzac's acknowledged masterpiece. A key novel in his Comédie Humaine series, it is a vividly realized portrait of bourgeois Parisian society in the years following the French Revolution.
Allison Pearson is one of the stars of her generation
—— Evening StandardIf you had forgotten what it's like to be fourteen - or, indeed, are the parent of somebody who is - this is a novel not to be missed
—— Daily MailHilarious and beautiful...Funny, insightful, wonderful
—— Easy LivingAnyone who can make me laugh and cry in equal measure gets my vote
—— GraziaPearson's knack for observing the ups and downs of ordinary folk (and all our faults and foibles) is pitch-perfect and as funny as it is poignant
—— GlamourBetter written than anything by Nick Hornby ... this book is about big things - friendship, motherhood, love, loss - seen through the prism of smoke from a joss stick, set to jingly jangly music that still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up, produces a shiver not unlike that from a Fox's glacier mint, and makes me almost, but not quite, want to wet my pants
—— Evening StandardIt's a finely tuned and satisfying plot and the writing is flawless and funny ... But it is the book's subtle and profound examination of its central themes that really makes it shine
—— Chloe Rhodes , Daily TelegraphI Think I Love You is a precisely observed account of the obsessions of early adolescence, doing for the pop crush what Nick Hornby has done for football and vinyl
—— Daisy Goodwin , Sunday TimesPearson (is) a natural comic writer
—— Claire Allfree , MetroIf you had forgotten what it's like to be 14 - or, indeed, are the parent of somebody who is - this is a novel not to be missed
—— Katherine Whitbourn , Daily MailFunny yet poignant story of obsession and first love
—— Good HousekeepingA satisfying celebration of love lost and found
—— SpectatorA wry satire on girlish obsession
—— Sally Cousins , Daily TelegraphThe hugely affecting tale of a teen crush and its consequences decades later, this is a subtle and flawlessly written love story
—— Daily TelegraphPearson's nostalgic narrative clearly marries the pangs of adolescence to mid-life regret. A pitch-perfect portrait of the teenage self.
—— IndependentFunny and poignant, it will also remind you why you'd never want to be 13 again!
—— Prima... examines the extraordinary lengths people will go to when driven by love.
—— Easy LivingThose who survive do dreadful things. This is the nub of their experiences and also, hints the author of our own.
—— The Sunday TimesA highly accomplished debut, this is a chilling portrait of racial tension, social immorality, betrayal and love, and also an atmospheric examination of the end of innocence.
—— The Lady MagazineThe writing is strong and though the sections featuring Gay's earlier life lose momentum, the story picks up pace when the girls' paths become entwined and the conclusion is compelling and thrillingly macabre.
—— TelegraphThis fictional account of a true story gives a darkly shocking version of the events surrounding this tragic case.
—— Good Book GuideBrilliantly melds a factual post-war murder into a dark fictional tale
—— Telegraph






